2003 Dayao earthquake

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2003 Dayao earthquake
China Yunnan rel location map.svg
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China edcp relief location map.jpg
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UTC  time2003-07-21 15:16:33
ISC  event 7003234
USGS-ANSS ComCat
Local dateJuly 21, 2003 (2003-07-21)
Local time23:16 CST [1]
Magnitude5.9 Mw [1]
6.1 Ms
Depth9.2 km (5.7 mi) [1]
Epicenter 25°58′N101°15′E / 25.96°N 101.25°E / 25.96; 101.25 [1]
Type Strike-slip [2]
Areas affected China
Max. intensity MMI VII (Very strong)
Casualties19 dead, 644 injured

The 2003 Dayao earthquake occurred on July 21, at 23:16:33 CST. The epicenter of the moment magnitude 5.9 earthquake was in Dayao County in the mountainous area of central Yunnan, China. At least 19 people were killed, 644 were injured, [3] and 8,406 families became homeless. The quake also caused $75 million USD in damage. [4] [2]

Contents

Tectonic setting

Yunnan is located at the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, where the Indian plate is colliding north–northeast into the Eurasian plate (Asia). The continental deformation is accommodated by major faults in the area, mostly of strike-slip movement. The Indian plate pushes into Asia, uplifting the Tibetan Plateau and causes it rotate clockwise, along the Xianshuihe fault system. This deformation spreads into Yunnan, where active strike-slip faulting occurs. [5]

Earthquake

The earthquake measured 6.1 on the surface-wave magnitude scale. It was the first of two earthquakes in the same area that year. In October, an Ms 6.2 (Mw 5.6) earthquake struck nearby, killing three people. [6] The July earthquake occurred as a result of shallow strike-slip faulting. [7] Coulomb stress transfer from the July quake increased the chance of failure on nearby faults which triggered the October quake. [8]

Impact

The quake occurred when most victims were asleep. In the village of Ganghe, at least 11 people were killed due to collapsing homes made of mud. An aftershock on July 23 caused additional collapses and injured 51 people. [9] In Songziyuan village, many homes were destroyed. Large fissures opened in roads and landslides blocked passing vehicles. At least one person died in the village. A total of 264,474 houses collapsed, leaving many homeless. [10]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The 2009 Afghanistan earthquake was a dip-slip doublet earthquake occurred in eastern Afghanistan, with an initial shock of magnitude of 5.2 Mw  at 01:57:51 April 17 local time, with a second shock of 5.1 Mw  occurring several hours later. The maximum Mercalli intensity was VI (Strong).

The 1932 Changma earthquake occurred at 10:04:27 local time on 25 December. With an estimated magnitude of 7.6 on the surface-wave magnitude scale, and a maximum felt intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale, the quake destroyed 1,167 houses and caused 275 to 70,000 deaths and 320 injuries.

An earthquake occurred on 1 June 1786 in and around Kangding, in what is now China's Sichuan province. It had an estimated magnitude of about 7.75 and a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The initial quake killed 435 people. After an aftershock ten days later, a further 100,000 died when a landslide dam collapsed across the Dadu river.

The 1976 Longling earthquake in Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, was a doublet earthquake, with two main shocks striking just east of Longling at 12:23:20 and 14:00:22 UTC. The magnitudes were estimated at 6.7 and 6.6, respectively, on the Mw(GCMT)  scale, and 6.9 and 7.0 on the Ms scale; Chinese sources put these at 7.4 and 7.3 on the Ms7 scale. The region is noted for the quantity and intensity of its earthquakes, and the complexity of its tectonics, which are closely related to the collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

An earthquake measuring 5.8 Mw struck the province of Sichuan in China at 22:55 local time, 17 June 2019. Changning and Gong counties in Yibin were particularly affected. 13 people died and more than 200 others were injured.

The 1988 Lancang–Gengma earthquakes, also known as the 11.6 earthquakes by the Chinese media were a pair of devastating seismic events that struck Lancang and Gengma counties, Yunnan, near the border with Shan State, Burma. The earthquake measured moment magnitude (Mw ) 7.0 and was followed 13 minutes later by a 6.9 Mw  shock. These earthquakes were assigned a maximum China seismic intensity of IX and X, respectively. Between 748 and 939 people were killed; more than 7,700 were injured. Both earthquakes resulted in US$270 million in damage and economic losses. Moderately large aftershocks continued to rock the region, causing additional casualties and damage.

The 1973 Luhuo earthquake struck near the town of Zhaggo in Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, China on February 6, 1973, with a magnitude of 7.6 Ms. The earthquake had a maximum intensity of X (Extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. It resulted in between 2,175 and 2,204 deaths and a further 2,743 injuries. Serious and widespread destruction occurred in Luhuo County.

The 1990 Gonghe earthquake occurred on April 26 at 17:37 China Standard Time in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. The mainshock had a surface wave magnitude of 7.0 Ms  and a moment magnitude of 6.5 Mw . It was presaged by two foreshocks that struck merely seconds before the main earthquake. On the Mercalli intensity scale, the earthquake had a rating of IX (Violent).

The 2021 Maduo earthquake, also known as the 5.22 earthquake struck Madoi County in Qinghai Province, China on 22 May at 02:04 local time. The earthquake had a moment magnitude and surface-wave magnitude of 7.4. Highway bridges, roads and walls collapsed as a result of the earthquake. According to an anonymous source, at least 20 people were killed, 300 were injured, and 13 were missing. Officials stated that there were no deaths but 19 people sustained minor injuries. It was the strongest in China since 2008. It was assigned a maximum intensity of X in Machali, Maduo County on the China seismic intensity scale and Modified Mercalli intensity scale. This earthquake was preceded by another unrelated earthquake that occurred 5 hours earlier in Yunnan.

The 2020 Qiaojia earthquake occurred in Yunnan, China, 42 km west of Zhaotong on May 18, 21:48 local time. The moment magnitude 5.1 quake occurred at a depth of 10 km. Various buildings were damaged, and one house collapsed in Zhaoyang District. Four people were killed while 24 people were injured.

The 1995 Menglian earthquake or 1995 Myanmar–China earthquake occurred on 12 July at 05:46:43 local time in the Myanmar–China border region. The earthquake had an epicenter on the Myanmar side of the border, located in the mountainous region of Shan State. It registered 7.3 on the Chinese surface wave magnitude scale (Ms ) and 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale (Mw ). With a maximum Mercalli intensity assigned at VIII, it killed 11 people and left another 136 injured. Over 100,000 homes in both countries were destroyed and 42,000 seriously damaged. Some damage to structures were also reported in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, Thailand. The low death toll from this earthquake was attributed to an early warning issued prior to it happening. Precursor events including foreshocks and some seismic anomalies led to an evacuation of the area before the mainshock struck. It is thought to be one of the few successfully predicted earthquakes in history.

The 1850 Xichang earthquake rocked Sichuan Province of Qing China on September 12. The earthquake which caused major damage in Xichang county had an estimated moment magnitude of 7.3–7.9 Mw  and a surface wave magnitude of 7.5–7.7 Ms . An estimated 20,650 people died.

The 1654 Tianshui earthquake occurred on July 21 in Tianshui, Gansu Province, Ming dynasty sometime between 21:00 and 23:00 local time. The event had an estimated moment magnitude of 7.0 and was assigned a maximum intensity of XI on the China seismic intensity scale. Resulting in extreme damage and affecting at least four provinces, the quake killed approximately 30,000 people.

The 1923 Renda earthquake occurred on March 24 at 20:40 local time between the counties of Daofu and Luhuo in Sichuan, China. The estimated Ms 7.3 earthquake was assigned a maximum modified Mercalli intensity scale rating of X (Extreme). Severe damage occurred in Sichuan, killing an estimated 4,800 people.

The 1955 Zheduotang earthquake, also known as the Kangding earthquake occurred on April 14 at 09:29:02 local time near the city of Kangding in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan. The earthquake had a moment magnitude of 7.0 and a surface wave magnitude of 7.1 and struck at a depth of 10 km. Severe damage occurred in Kangding with the loss of 70 lives.

On April 11, 1870, a moment magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Batang County in Sichuan, China. The earthquake had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The earthquake and a large fire resulted in between 2,300 and 5,000 fatalities.

The 1979 Saint Elias earthquake affected Alaska at 12:27 AKST on 28 February. The thrust-faulting Mw 7.5 earthquake had an epicenter in the Granite Mountains. Though the maximum recorded Modified Mercalli intensity was VII, damage was minimal and there were no casualties due to the remoteness of the faulting. Damage also extended across the border in parts of Yukon, Canada.

The 1733 Dongchuan earthquake affected Yunnan in China on August 2. The earthquake, which had an estimated surface-wave magnitude of 7.75, damaged homes across the province. There were dozens of fatalities and more deaths occurred in mines. The earthquake was the result of faulting along the Xiaojiang Fault Zone.

On 20 March 1536, Xichang and Mianning, Sichuan, Ming dynasty, were struck by an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.3 Ms. It had a maximum felt intensity of X (Extreme) on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale, and caused thousands of deaths.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 ISC-OB Event 7003234 [ IRIS ].
  2. 1 2 ANSS. "M 6.0 – 75 km SSW of Dadukou, China". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
  3. Wang, Wei Jun; Chen, Ling; Chen, Qi Fu; Liu, Jie (2007). "2003 年大姚地震震中区的速度和衰减结构" [Velocity and attenuation structures in the focal area of 2003 Dayao earthquakes]. Chinese Journal of Geophysics (in Chinese). 50 (3): 770–779. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 1, 2022.
  4. National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (2003), Significant Earthquake Information, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K , retrieved 2022-04-01
  5. Wang, Fan; Wang, Min; Wang, Yanzhao; Shen, Zheng-Kang (2015). "Earthquake Potential of the Sichuan-Yunnan Region, Western China". Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. 107. Elsevier: 232–243. Bibcode:2015JAESc.107..232W. doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2015.04.041.
  6. ANSS. "M 5.6 – Yunnan, China". Comprehensive Catalog. U.S. Geological Survey.
  7. Wang, Xiaoshan; Feng, Xiangdong; Diao, Guiling; Wang, Libing; Cai, Lingling (2009). "Difference between focal mechanisms of Dayao earthquake doublet sequence" [Difference between focal mechanisms of Dayao earthquake doublet sequence]. Earthquake Science (in Chinese). 22 (6): 667–673. Bibcode:2009EaSci..22..667W. doi:10.1007/s11589-009-0667-0. S2CID   128413530.
  8. Xu, Xiaofeng; Wan, Yongge; Wang, Huilin (2011). "Stress value in 2003 Dayao MS6.1 earthquake source region". Earthquake Science. 24 (4): 343–350. Bibcode:2011EaSci..24..343X. doi: 10.1007/s11589-011-0797-z . S2CID   129935225.
  9. Liu, Ben-yu; Miao, Sheng; Ye, Liao-yuan; Xiao, Mei-ling (2006). "Damage of village buildings in recent Yunnan earthquakes". 4th International Conference on Earthquake Engineering Taipei, Taiwan (266).
  10. ACT Alliance (29 July 2003). "ACT Alert 1/2003 China Dayao Earthquake". ReliefWeb . Retrieved 1 April 2022.